Multiple Los Angeles County libraries hosted free Naloxone clinics to fight the opioid epidemic on Wednesdays. County libraries in El Monte, East LA, Willowbrook, Lennox, Lancaster, Norwalk, and West Hollywood partnered with the LA County Department of Public Health and the California Department of Health Care Services to provide citizens with doses of the lifesaving drug Narcan.
Customers did not need ID or proof of insurance to receive a free dose. Following a quick training video on how to properly administer Narcan to revive drug-overdosed people, residents were given one dose to use in case of emergencies.
Alejandra Santoyo, an El Monte library assistant, said people from a variety of backgrounds attend the clinics, including those who may not have an immediate need. “A lot of them are teachers, and friends of people who have overdosed,” Santoyo said. “We’ve found that a lot of people are getting it just in case they come across someone, not for a specific person.”
This program is thanks to Janice Hahn, county supervisor representing District 4. In October 2022, Hahn proposed a motion seeking to fill LA libraries with Narcan and use them as distribution sites. The proposal passed, converting multiple libraries into distribution centers. These clinics will attempt to counteract years of Fentanyl wreaking havoc on communities nationwide.
El Monte’s library manager, Am Bowes, talked about the impact Narcan can have. “A lot of community members come through,” she said. “A woman lost her partner two years back. She believes if she had Narcan a few years back, her partner would still be alive.” In 2022, fentanyl overtook methamphetamine as the most frequently used drug in accidental drug overdoses within LA County.
Fentanyl accounted for 59% of all overdose deaths that involved drugs and alcohol, according to data provided by the LA County Department of Public Health. Between 2016 to 2022, deaths involving opioids, specifically fentanyl, increased from 19% to 92%. The most hard-hit demographic within Los Angeles were males. While people between the ages of 26 to 39 suffered 2,360 fentanyl related overdose deaths between 2016 to 2022.
Among race and ethnicity, white people suffered the most fentanyl related deaths. However, African Americans had the highest rate of overdoses per capita in 2022. Lastly, Supervisorial District 1 in LA County, which covers most of the San Gabriel Valley and East Los Angeles, suffered the most fentanyl related deaths overall and per capita. Although the opioid epidemic is still ravaging Los Angeles communities, the Department of Public Health is working to prevent overdoses. Narcan clinics not only give individuals free doses, but they provide training so that citizens can be knowledgeable and prepared in the event of an overdose.
